Cheques: Payments Council to be curbed

The government is punishing the Payments Council for trying to phase out cheques, but failing to come up with an alternative.The Council will lose its power to govern the payments systems for UK banks, under new proposals.The government wants to hand the Councils powers to a new body overseen by the new Financial Conduct Authority.The change would make banking “more responsive” to the needs of its users, the Treasury said.

via BBC News – Cheques: Payments Council to be curbed.

Perhaps the Payment Council should look at the world of prepaid for some ideas?

Wakestock music festival first in UK to use microchips

Wristbands fitted with microchips have been worn by everyone at a UK festival for the first time. The technology, which designers claim will cut out fake tickets and queues, was used by 15,000 festival-goers at Wakestock, Cardigan Bay, Wales.

Designers claim the advantages to fans are that they can pre-load them with money to pay for food and drink, check into social networks and ensure they have a “cleaner experience”.

via BBC – Newsbeat – Wakestock music festival first in UK to use microchips.

The Apple iPhone and NFC

I’ve been talking a fair bit this week about some of the commercial and consumer challenges regarding mobile payments and NFC. I even had one crazy conversation with a lady that felt that a YouGov survey on the subject was flawed as it disagreed with her opinion.

The reality is that NFC is not going to be a significant mobile payment method for some while…if at all.

So where is the Apple iPhone in all this? This article had some good comments to consider: http://www.paybefore.com/aboutus/default.aspx?id=24522

Why I like people with unconventional resumés

I’m in the process of recruiting a couple of people (this is not an invitation to recruiters to get in touch!) and therefore looking at quite a few CVs. Yes, I want candidate CVs to be two pages but what about the content?

This article is an interesting read about a candidates current and future potential.

Professional success used to depend on experience, knowledge, and skill. But things have changed in recent decades. First, knowledge has become as rapidly obsolete as universally available. Second, we live in an increasingly uncertain and volatile world where, I often say, even the past has become unpredictable. And, finally, business has become more global and diverse.

Read the rest of the article >>> Why I Like People with Unconventional Resumés – Claudio Fernández-Aráoz – Harvard Business Review.